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James Holmes' lawyers sent letters to theater shooting survivors

Assistant Arapahoe County district attorney Karen Pearson, center, along with James Holmes' defense attorney Tamara Brady, right, leave a courtroom at the Arapahoe County Justice Center. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post)

Defense attorneys for the Aurora movie theater gunman and a woman working for them repeatedly have contacted victims of the attack and coordinated with death-penalty opponents, according to prosecutors in the case.

James Holmes' lawyers have sent survivors and families of the slain victims at least two letters, including one inviting the victims to attend a meeting with the attorneys. A woman working on behalf of the defense as a victim-outreach specialist also has contacted victims and worked in conjunction with death-penalty opponents, according to prosecutors.

One victim who was contacted believed that the woman, Tammy Krause, was trying to recruit victims to speak out against the decision to seek the death penalty against Holmes, according to an affidavit from that victim included in a prosecution filing last month that was made public Tuesday.

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The filing is prosecutors' explanation for why they sent an e-mail to victims asking them instead to contact the district attorney's office if they disagree with the death penalty decision. The e-mail — in which prosecutors also suggest that the defense's victim-outreach efforts have caused confusion — is the centerpiece of a defense motion for sanctions against prosecutors.

Prosecutors say they have repeatedly told victims they are free to talk to whomever they choose. They also say they have declined victims' repeated requests to complain to the judge about defense outreach efforts.

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